All For You
by Winter Oak
Summary: Luna wakes up one day to discover that no one can see her. Secret Santa gift for Emo Cowboy.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: Merry (Belated) Christmas and Happy New Year, Emo Cowboy! I didn't mean for the story to turn out so heavy. It sounded like a good idea until a third of the way through… I'll have the next chapter up soon.

Wait, what? You ate my cookies?! *flips table*

* * *

**All for You**

* * *

Luna furrowed her eyebrow as she carefully chose her steps, avoiding the puddles and slush along the path that had formed during the afternoon. If it were up to her, she would stay inside for the majority of winter but school continued regardless of the weather. The young girl wrinkled her nose in distaste as the half-melted snow splashed against her clean boots.

"Why couldn't all this snow go away?" she complained to her companion.

"It's not so bad," Candace replied softly, hugging her textbooks to her chest. Luna refrained from rolling her eyes. Everything annoying in life was not so bad according to Candace.

"It's not only horrible but super cold too! I just want spring to –Ahh!" The girl let out a surprised shriek when something smacked into her back. Whipping around, she scanned the streets of Castanet, her gaze stopping on two snickering boys hiding behind a tree. Red hair stuck out from beneath a hood, allowing her to identify one of the boys as Owen. The other boy was undoubtedly Luke because he was the only one who walked around with a bandanna tied around his head regardless of the temperature. Before the girl could yell at them, another pair of snowballs came raining down on her.

Staggering back, the pink-haired girl held her book bag over her head. "Hey! Would you stop that!" She glanced to the side, spotting Candace meekly holding her books above her head to avoid the snowballs being pelted at her. Obviously, she wasn't going to get help from her sister. Between retaliating and retreating, retreating seemed like the least messy option. "Gah!"

Still holding her book bag over her head, Luna began running back towards the tailor shop, snowballs following her half the way home. The girl took a moment to catch her breath when she arrived at the front of the store. Why were most boys so immature? Glancing back, she saw her sister slowly making her way up to the shop, snow crystals clinging to her hair and clothes. Luna glanced down at her own clothes, completely upset with the whole situation. If she were older and taller, maybe the boys would take her more seriously. Or if Candace was less of a pushover.

"Luna, are you alright?" Balancing her textbooks on the window sill, Candace began meticulously brushing the snow off the younger girl's hair and clothes.

"Does it look like I'm okay?"

Candace's hands stilled, her soft smile fading away. "Luke and Owen… didn't mean any harm."

There it was again. That complacency and lack of stance. Why did Candace have to wave aside every conflict like that? Nothing would change for the better as a result. Because of that, Luna had to take up the job of watching over the both of them, especially after their parents... Luna shook her head, breaking off her line of thought. Their grandmother was getting older and wouldn't be able to run the shop on her own one day. If they relied solely on Candace, Luna was sure that they wouldn't be able to get by. And so she studied diligently, working to gain the knowledge to make sure the tailor shop had a future ahead of it. She had hoped that her older sister would change over time –would realize nothing would change if she insisted everything was fine when things were not– but that hasn't happened yet.

"Forget it," Luna grumbled, yanking open the door and entering the shop.

Heading straight to her room, Luna dumped her book bag and jacket on top of her bed and snuggled against a pink pillow. The fiery emotions inside her slowly seeped away, leaving a dull sadness instead. She was trying so hard for both their sakes. Why couldn't Candace do the same?

Luna raised her head when she heard a knock on the bedroom door. She shared the room with Candace so her sister didn't need to knock when entering and leaving. "Yes, grandma?"

Shelly appeared in the doorway, looking slightly worried, as she usually did when she noticed her granddaughters were unhappy. "Luna, dear, are you alright?"

Straightening, Luna nodded. "I'm fine, grandma." She didn't want to worry the older woman, especially when nothing about the situation can be changed.

Knowing how stubborn Luna could be, Shelly accepted the answer. She gently patted the younger girl's hand. "Alright, dearie but you're always free to talk to me about any problems you have."

Luna smiled at her grandmother and enveloped the older woman in a hug. "I know."

"Do you have time to help out in the shop? I just finished making some accessories and need to put them on display."

"Of course." While she had no talent for making clothes and accessories, the young girl was able to effectively put together coherent displays that showed off the shop's newest items. Pushing off the bed, Luna smoothed her dress and ran her fingers through her damp hair –the snow Candace hadn't managed to brush off having melted away— before following her grandmother out of the room.

The box of newly made hair accessories lay near the entrance of the workroom. Luna made out some dark colored bows, flower crowns, and patterned headbands in the pile, each having been made with fine attention to detail. Even though they were the only store in town that sold clothes, their grandmother took care in ensuring that the items they sold were of quality and Luna took pride in that.

Spotting a pale flower barrette, Luna picked it up. The petals were intricately colored, smoothly transitioning from yellow near the center to ivory on the end. "Grandma, can I have this? I really like it." Luna could think of the perfect outfit the barrette would go with as well.

"Yes, of course, dearie."

"Hehe, thank you!" Not having a pocket, Luna placed the item back in the box and brought the container to the counter, where a small spinning rack display sat. Vibrant flowery accessories from the previous season sparsely decorated the rack, most of them having been sold. After rearranging the items on the bottom of the rack, Luna began picking out accessories from the box and hanging them on the rack.

A jingle from the bells above the door and a gust of cool air announced the arrival of a customer. "Welcome to Sonata Tailoring. Can I help you with anything…?" Luna stared oddly at the customer, who was bundled from head to toe in heavy layers. She disliked the cold herself but at least layered her clothes without looking like a sausage.

A pair of gold colored eyes gazed down at her. "I need five dresses, shirts, stockings… just get me five of everything you sell for women," her muffled voice demanded from behind her heavy scarf.

There was something about the woman's tone of voice that instantly rubbed Luna the wrong way. Telling the customer to get the items herself was on the tip of Luna's tongue but the girl refrained. While this was the first time she had encountered such a request, the request wasn't unreasonable. The girl instead asked, "Alright. What style do you like?"

"I like cute things," she answered, gloved hands tugging at her scarf. "Now hurry up! I don't have all day! And make sure they will look good on me too!"

"And how am I supposed to know what you look like under all of that?" Luna asked as politely as she could, finding more to dislike about this customer by the second.

"Do you think it's easy to take all of this off and put back on again?" the customer huffed.

"Here, let me help you with that," Shelly said in a placating manner as she emerged from the workroom. "You must be uncomfortable in all those layers."

It took some convincing but the woman relented. As Candace and her grandmother helped the customer remove the layers of unnecessary clothing, Luna began picking out stockings, hats, scarves, and other basic items that did not require her to know the customer's body type. Afterwards, she dumped the assortment of items on the counter and stood grumpily to the side as her grandmother and Candace picked out various articles of clothing. Luna listened wordlessly as the woman pointed at this and that in the store for her sister to retrieve. _Was she buying a supply of clothes to last for the next decade or something? _

"That should be everything," Shelly commented at last, neatly folding the last few items from the pile on the counter. "Is there anything else you would like, dear?"

The woman thoughtfully scanned the shop, her gaze lingering on the accessories near the counter. Picking up a flower barrette, she said, "I'll also take this as well."

"Hey, that's mine!" Luna protested, recognizing the item in the woman's hand. "You can't have it!"

Turning her nose up, the woman stated, "It doesn't have your name on it and was lying with all the other sale items."

Marching up to the counter, Luna glowered at the woman. "It's mine. Are you really fighting with a little girl for a barrette?" She was older than she looked but didn't mind pretending that she was not when it worked to her advantage.

Arms crossed over her chest, the silver-haired woman countered, "Have you paid for it? Either way, you should have taken it off the sales floor! Are you really this rude to all your customers?"

This demanding woman was calling _her_ rude? What a hypocrite. Luna snorted, "Well, most of our customers aren't—"

"Luna, that's enough," Shelly said firmly.

Shocked eyes turned to the older woman. "But grandmother, you said I could have it!" the girl protested. She couldn't believe that the older woman was siding against her. She was her granddaughter and the other person was just a rude nobody. Even if they were to ignore that, her grandmother had agreed to give the item to her.

"Hn, apparently it isn't yours after all," simpered the woman, ignoring the increasingly angry girl beside her. Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved a bag of gold to pay for her purchases.

"L-Luna, you already have a lot of accessories," Candace said quietly, gently placing a hand on her sister's arm.

Luna angrily shrugged the hand off, ignoring her sister, and stomped her foot as she glowered at her grandmother. "This would go perfectly with one of my outfits! You're not being fair! You said I could have it! It wouldn't look good on her ugly hair anyway!"

"Hey! What did you say?" the woman demanded.

"You heard me clearly! Or are you as deaf and old as your hair makes you look?"

Shock crossed the woman's features, followed by spewing anger. "No one gets away with insulting me like this! Just wait!"

"I'd like to see you try anything!"

"Spoiled brat!"

"Ugly witch!"

"Enough, Luna!" Shelly ordered, raising her usually gentle voice. "Apologize to—"

"I'm not wrong!" Luna cried. She turned to look at her family's expressions, finding no support from either her sister or grandmother. Spinning around, the pink haired girl ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. The conversation continued without her outside though Luna was unable to hear a word through the walls.

Curled up on her bed, the pink-haired girl stared at the designs on her comforter. She wasn't wrong. She might have been unpleasant to the customer but she hadn't been wrong in standing up for what was hers. The stretching shadows were the only things that moved in the room as the sun sank in the sky.

A tentative knock sounded against the door. "Luna? …Dinner is ready."

It wasn't like she had wanted anything unreasonable either. It was just a little thing. How hard was it to keep a simple promise to give her a little thing?

"It'll get cold if you wait too long."

How hard was it to support your sister when she needed help?

"I… can listen, if you want to talk."

_As if that would help with anything_, Luna thought bitterly to herself. At last, Candace shuffled away from the door, leaving her sister alone in the darkness. Eyelids heavy, the girl sank into a restless slumber.

When she awoke, Candace was already out of bed. Changing out of her crumpled outfit, Luna proceeded with her usual morning routine. The girl slowed when she neared the kitchen, not sure how to interact with her family members but stepped into the room with her head held high. She still maintained that she had done nothing wrong even if her sister and grandmother disagreed. Sliding into her usual seat, Luna gazed down, surprised to find that there was no food in front of her.

"Hey, what's the meaning of this?"

Across from her, Candace nibbled quietly on her jam covered toast, eyes averted. Yes, she had ignored her yesterday but Candace didn't have as much a reason to be upset as she did. _How petty, _Luna thought, biting the inside of her cheek to refrain from saying something scathing to the older girl.

She turned to look at her grandmother, who was busying herself washing the frying pan. Maybe she should have joined the two for dinner yesterday but knowing that she hadn't eaten yesterday evening, did they need to not make her breakfast to make their point? She wasn't the one being childish here. Pursing her lips, Luna pushed herself off the chair and took a plate from a drawer and a slice of bread from the kitchen counter. Breakfast proceeded silently, with no one uttering a word; Candace usually didn't say much and Luna was still upset with the other household members.

After finishing breakfast, Luna grabbed her book bag and headed out without waiting for her sister. School also continued with the two not talking to one another. Once they were dismissed, Luna scrunched her nose up and began packing away her books. It's not like Candace talked that much anyways, so it wasn't like there was anything to miss. Nonetheless, her sister usually let go of disagreements with her fairly easily so the blue-haired girl's behaviour today seemed odd. Luna frowned as she watched her sister exit the building, not even pausing to search for her younger sister.

Making up her mind, Luna pushed open the door and trotted after Candace. "Hey, what's your problem? If anyone has reason to be upset, it should be me! All I did was ignore you while you failed to stand up for me again!"

Candace continued walking, her head held down, ignoring Luna's words. This only made Luna angrier. Cheeks tinted pink, she shouted, "You're my big sister and yet I need to stand up for you all the time!"

Her sister made no indication of hearing her or caring for her words. She had always ran from conflict but it needed to stop today. Luna had put up with it for long enough. Years of unspoken bitterness, words that she never wanted to say with such harshness, came flowing out like a broken dam. "You can hardly take care of yourself so I have to be strong! You never have an opinion so I have to make all the decisions! You're always content with the minimal so I have to work hard and somehow make sure the shop has a bright future. What have you done for me, Candace?"

Their one sided conversation was abruptly interrupted by a snowball sailing through the air, smashing onto the ground near Candace's feet.

"Hey, Candace! Do you want to play with us?" Luke shouted from behind a fence, waving his arms to catch her attention. "We're having an EXTREME snowball fight!"

A few metres away from Luke, Owen stuck his head out from behind a snow fort. Casually tossing the snowball in his hand into the air and catching it again, he said, "The more the merrier."

The blue haired girl shook her head, eyes darting between Luke and Owen. Her grip on her books tightened slightly as she replied, "S-sorry, I have to go home and help with the shop."

"You're always working, Candace," Owen observed.

Grinning, Luke linked his hands behind his head. "Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to take a small break."

"Unlike a certain someone who takes breaks all the time," Owen quipped, jerking a thumb at his friend. He was answered by a snowball to the side of his face, causing the boy to drop the snowball in his hand. However, the red haired boy was quick to hide behind his snow fort and return the attack with a volley of snowballs.

Candace smiled politely though her discomfort showed in the shakiness of her expression. "Thanks for the offer but… I really have to go."

Luna turned from the boys to her sister, peeved that they were acting as if she wasn't right there. Huffing, she decided that her issue with Candace was more pressing. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

They were nearing the shop now and the other girl still hadn't said a word to her. Jogging up to Candace, Luna grabbed the other's arm, holding her back from escaping. "Candace, are you even listening to me?"

The blue haired girl's eyes were surprised when she was forced to face Luna. "W-what?"

"Have you listened to what I've said at all?"

The lack of response was accompanied by wide eyed confusion and a hint of fear. Furrowing her brow, Luna gazed behind her, trying to make out what Candace was afraid of because it surely wasn't her. Nothing out of the ordinary was found but when she turned back to look at her sister, the blue haired girl was trembling. Before she can ask, the other girl had pulled her arm out of her grasp and had run into the shop. The door slammed behind her, the force shaking snow off from the edge of the roof.

"Hey!" Luna yanked on the door handle but found the door locked. The girl pounded loudly on the door. "Unlock this door right now!"

After a full minute of pounding on the door, Luna leaned her forehead against the opaque glass panel. Had she gone too far? Candace's self-confidence had always been low. She hadn't meant to really hurt her sister. Her anger had gotten the better of her and while she was resentful for the burden she had to carry because her sister couldn't, she still cared for her sister because… well, because she was her sister. She hoped Candace was alright. After giving the door handle one more try without success, the girl stepped back from the shop.

Worried as she was, she couldn't help but feel a hint of irritation. Even after everything she said, Candace was still running. The thought left her feeling empty inside, disappointment eating at her. Nothing will change. Nothing had changed for the past thirteen years of her life. Why did she keep trying?

"I might as well do something else while I wait," she muttered to herself as she readjusted the strap of the book bag digging into her shoulder. Snowflakes sprinkled over the town as Luna trudged up the stairs towards the inn. It wasn't unbearably chilly at the moment but the dark clouds overhead seemed to promise heavier snowfall later during the day.

The warm scent of spices and stewing vegetables filled her senses as soon as she entered Ocarina Inn. It was still early so the inn was empty except for a couple sitting in one table and her classmate, Maya, doing homework in another. Settling down on an empty table by the window, Luna pulled out a textbook to study. After an hour of uninterrupted studying, the girl raised her head to look for the waitress. Surely, the waitress had noticed her in the nearly barren dining area after an hour of standing around. Sliding off the chair, Luna marched up to the blonde waitress. "Excuse me but I would like some service over here."

The waitress didn't respond, seemingly oblivious to Luna's presence.

"Hey, I would like some service here," Luna said, raising her voice but to no avail; the waitress continued to act as if she couldn't hear anything. Was this some sort of joke? Frowning, Luna raised her arm and waved her arm in front of the waitress's face. The young woman didn't even blink. Frowning, the student stepped back. Just what was going on here?

Running over to Maya, the girl slammed her hands down on her table. "Maya, what's going on?"

The blonde continued doodling on the margins of her book.

"This is a joke, right?" Luna asked, pleading for the girl to answer. The blonde reached for a cookie on the plate in front of her, munching contently on her snack. Luna's knees buckled beneath her and she would have collapsed onto the ground if not for her tight grip on the table. "Answer me!"

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Luna tried to figure out what was happening. This wasn't possible. She raised her hand, staring at her palm, half-expecting to be able to see through herself. She appeared to be a solid human being. Tightening her hand into a fist, Luna shook her head. No, there had to be a possible explanation. This had to be a joke.

"Hey, Maya, stop it. We get along as classmates, don't we?" Fear tinged her voice despite her efforts to remain calm. Her classmate didn't look up. Chest tightening, Luna reminded herself that she was a solid human being and could prove that as well. With shaking hands, Luna pushed the plate of cookies off the table. The plate shattered, causing Maya to jump in her seat and everyone else in the restaurant to look in their direction.

The waitress rushed over. "Are you okay, Maya?"

"Yeah," the girl answered, gazing curiously at the cookies on the floor and scratching her head. "I must have knocked it over somehow."

"Well obviously," the waitress replied. "How else would it have fallen off the table?"

"Good point." The young girl giggled. Her smile soon turned into a pout as she looked down at the floor. "Aw… they were really yummy cookies too."

"I'll get you some more. On a plastic plate this time." Grabbing a napkin and bending down, the young woman began picking up the larger pieces of the broken plate.

"Hey! I'm not that clumsy!" Maya protested. Slipping off the chair, the girl ran towards the back. "I'll go get the broom!"

"Thanks." The waitress shrieked when the textbooks on the table suddenly came crashing down onto the floor. Dropping the plate fragments in her hand, the blonde backed away from the table just as the chair violently toppled over next.

"Ghost!" she screamed, her voice slicing through the air and reaching everyone in the inn.

The owners of the store came rushing over into the dining area. Returning from the broom closet, Maya hid behind her mother while Jake accessed the situation. "What is going on?"

"T-the chair and books just suddenly flew to the ground, Mr. Jake," the waitress cried, pointing over at the table Maya had previously occupied.

"Nonsense, that isn't po—" The man's response was interrupted by the entire table smashing onto its side, causing everyone to scream in shock.

"I-I'm getting out of here," the waitress cried, scrambling onto her feet and running out the door. The two remaining customers in the inn quickly followed, the door slamming loudly behind them. Shocked silence stretched for a moment as the remaining individuals tried to take in what was happening.

"N-now listen here," Jake said, looking at a spot a few feet to Luna's left. "Ghosts aren't welcome in this inn!"

Grabbing the broom from Maya's hands, the man began to wildly attack the area above the table. With a surprised cry, Luna ducked behind the upturned table. She had definitely managed to catch some attention. Deciding to take advantage of that, Luna reached for a piece of paper and a pencil that lay on the floor. She quickly scribbled 'I'm not a ghost! I'm Luna! Help!' on the piece of paper and stood up to hold the paper for her attackers to see.

Screams erupted as soon as the piece of paper rose over the table. Before she could decide on what to do, the girl was met with a face full of bristles. "Ack! Stop it! It's me, Luna!" the girl cried, waving the piece of paper wildly. "Just look at the paper! Please, just look!"

Luna ducked just as a cup came flying in her direction, smashing loudly into the wall behind her. Dropping the piece of paper, the terrified girl scrambled out the door. The screams faded away as the door closed, leaving her in calm silence. Wrapping her trembling arms around herself, Luna tried to keep herself together. She wasn't really a ghost, was she? Surely, if she were dead, she wouldn't be able to feel the biting cold of winter. Then again, how would she know what a ghost felt and didn't feel? This was it then. She had somehow died and was now a ghost.

Luna didn't know how long she had stood outside in the cold trying to overcome her shock and fear –what will happen to her now?— but by the time she had snapped out of her stupor, snow was falling heavily to the ground. The girl shook her head, walking aimlessly along the streets. Hearing the laughter and jokes of passing villagers seemed surreal when her own world was collapsing on itself. Snow clung to her hair, weighing down her usual curls but the girl paid it no heed –there was no one to see it now.

The snow came down heavier and heavier as she walked. Looking at her surroundings, Luna decided that it was best to make her way back home. Was the tailor shop still her home? With slumped shoulders, Luna walked down to the lower district, minding her footing on the snow covered stairs. Arriving in front of Sonata Tailoring, the girl tried the handle again but to no avail. That's right, if she was dead, there would be no need to leave the door unlocked if she hadn't come home yet. Letting go of the door handle, Luna frowned at the tears gathering in her eyes. She hadn't cried in a long time but finding out that she was dead seemed to be an acceptable reason to tear up. She had so many plans for the future. How could things end so suddenly? Scrunching up her nose, Luna buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

When she was done crying, Luna wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand and stepped back to look up at the shop. The cozy little building looked the same as she remembered it. Did her family miss her? They surely hadn't acted any different when she had seen them earlier today. Was her existence truly so insignificant? The painful thought tore at her chest. She knew that she could be annoying at times but she also thought that she had contributed a lot to her family. Who would stand up for Candace now? Who would make sure the store remained up to date and grew to be well known in the region? It mattered little now.

_So I'm dead… What am I supposed to do now? _Luna wondered. Would she disappear into the ether? The girl shivered as a blast of cold air blew past her. After a few moments of deliberation, Luna concluded that it was idiotic to wait in the cold to disappear into nothing when she could be inside waiting to disappear into nothing. Upset as she was with her family, Luna couldn't think of anywhere else she could go or wanted to be. Walking up to the shop, Luna pounded on the door.

Before she lost complete feeling of her limbs, she heard footsteps slowly approaching the door. "Hold on, dearie. I'll be right there." The door opened and taking the opportunity, Luna slipped inside as Shelly quizzically looked down both sides of the empty street. "I guess it must have been the wind…"

Standing to the side, Luna watched as her grandmother returned to the kitchen and rejoined Candace for their dinner. The pink haired girl trailed after the old woman, afraid to reach out to her grandmother in fear of scaring her but longing for her comfort at the same time. In the end, reason won out. She could still see the fear in Candace's eyes when Shelly had returned, claiming that the pounding noise had been caused by the wind. Sitting beside the fridge, Luna soaked in the warmth inside the building, the heat stinging against her chilled skin. Luna listened with half an ear as her grandmother asked Candace about her day –the conversation seemed pretty ordinary.

Her stomach rumbled but with the events of her previous encounter still fresh in her mind, Luna only snuck some food for herself when the other household occupants busied themselves with washing the dishes. Running into the room she shared with Candace, the girl sat down on her bed and began enthusiastically biting into the piece of bread. She would sneak out for more food later, once everyone was asleep.

The pink-haired girl raised her head when the door creaked open. Shoulders hunched and gaze darting across the room, Candace quietly closed the door and slowly inched forward. Undoubtedly, she was still wary of the ghost she had encountered earlier today. Luna resisted the urge to walk forward and hug her sister. Worry eating at her, Luna quietly asked, "What will you do without me?"

As Candace started her nightly routine, Luna brushed off the crumbs on her dress. There wasn't much she could do without spooking her sister so the girl merely busied herself with walking around. She stopped by the picture on her sister's nightstand showing Shelly hugging both of them against a beautiful starry sky in the background. They had just begun to enjoy living in their new home in that picture. Luna smiled sadly. There were so many things she would miss.

A thought coming to her, Luna turned to examine the room again. Her eyes fell on the calendar. According to Candace's neat crosses, today was the day after the day in Luna's last memory. Assuming the date was correct, when exactly had she found the time to die when she had went to sleep the previous night and woke up this morning? Unless she wasn't dead. But no, that didn't make sense either. Gaze falling on her side of the room, Luna saw that all of her items were still in the position she had last placed them. Everything was as they should be… except they weren't. What was going on? Seeing Candace make her way back to bed, Luna scrambled out of the way.

Was she dreaming up this entire thing? Raising a hand, Luna pinched her cheek. The action hurt briefly and when she examined her surroundings again, she was still standing in the middle of her room. No, this was neither a dream nor a nightmare. This confounding situation was real.


	2. Chapter 2

Luna groaned, cracking open an eye when she heard the clinking of cookware from the kitchen. Seeing as it didn't matter anymore whether she was on time for breakfast anymore, Luna took her time getting out of bed. After freshening up for the day, Luna reached into her nightstand drawer to take out some food she had taken out from the fridge the night before. Perhaps she could sneak some leftovers when Candace and her grandmother were finished.

When she heard dishes being picked up, Luna crept over to the kitchen. Some pancakes and sliced fruit remained on plates in the middle of the table. When both Candace and her grandmother had their backs turned, Luna swiped a couple of pancakes and a handful of fruit before retreating to a private spot to enjoy her meal.

Finding herself in the workroom eating her makeshift pancake fruit rolls, Luna couldn't help but indulge in a bit of self-pity. How much longer did she have to live this sort of life –stealing food, doing her business in the middle of the night, and avoiding her family in general so she wouldn't scare them?

Resting her elbows on the table and burying her face in her hands, Luna wondered what the point of all this was. If she wasn't going to disappear into nothing, what was she doing here? Hearing voices approaching, Luna stood up from the chair and moved aside as Candace sat in front of the workbench.

Standing behind Candace, Shelly nodded in approval as the young girl showed her the piece she was currently working on. "Very good. The stitching is clean and even. The seams are crisply pressed giving the dress a sharp look."

"I'm still nowhere as good as you."

"It takes time and practice, dearie," Shelly said, patting Candace's hand.

Candace smiled, though she didn't look particularly comforted. "I think I'll try making another dress."

"It's a lovely Saturday. Don't you want to go out and play in the snow with your classmates?"

The girl shook her head, looking back at the dress. "No. I want to improve my skills so that I can… so that I can help you with the shop in the future."

Luna tore her eyes away from the blouse she was admiring when she heard her sister's words. Candace having ambition and wanting to improve herself? Was she hearing correctly? Though now that she thought about it, her sister often stayed at home even when she had completed all her chores and homework. She had assumed that Candace had just hated socializing with others. It's not that she was wrong. She knew Candace as well as she knew herself. Her sister definitely did her best to avoid social situations. But her sister had sounded strangely genuine when she said she wanted to improve her skills to help the shop, instead of the words being just an excuse to say home.

From the expression on their grandmother's face, Luna figured that the two had gone through this conversation many times before. "Very well… I'll be visiting Irene at the clinic."

"Take care on your way there, grandmother ."

Luna curiously looked over her sister for a moment, wondering if she didn't know Candace as much as she thought she did. They grew up together, having never been apart for more than a day as long as she remembered. She should know Candace. She did. Shaking the doubt from her mind, Luna followed her grandmother out, deciding that she needed a walk.

When the day had come to a close, Luna collapsed onto her bed, feeling weary even though she hadn't done much. Opening an eye and look at her sister, Luna wondered why Candace never looked at her side of the room. "Do you miss me?"

As expected, her sister didn't respond. Rolling onto her back, Luna wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time that day what was going on. She couldn't fit her observations into an answer that fit everything together. There were many things that suggested that she wasn't dead and yet people were unable to see or hear her. Moreover, as far as she could tell from the lack of mention of her, no one remembered her at all. And yet, her belongings stood glaringly across from Candace in the room they shared. Turning her head and watching her sister knit, Luna asked, "Have you forgotten about me, Candace? You wouldn't, right? We grew up together. We've come this far together after our parents passed…"

Her voice choking, Luna turned away and raised an arm to cover her eyes. It was no use. As for finding the answer to this puzzling predicament, Luna had no idea where to begin. Well, she supposed that wasn't quite right. The only place she imagined that offered some hope was the library. It was a long shot but it wouldn't hurt to take a look tomorrow.

* * *

Head lightly hitting the library table, Luna sighed wearily. She couldn't say that she didn't expect this. She had browsed through the limited religion and parapsychology sections without finding anything relevant to her case. Perhaps there was a book out there that would help her but it just did not exist in this small library. Drumming her fingers on the table, Luna wondered if a medical book would be more relevant to her case. Perhaps she was slowly going crazy. Yes, that would explain many things.

The girl turned her head when she heard footsteps in the hallway outside the room. Seeing as the library was technically closed and she had snuck in herself, she was slightly apprehensive when the door opened. Her breath caught in her throat when Gill gazed directly at her. Was he somehow able to see her?

Shaking his head, the blond muttered, "Can't people clean up after themselves?" Brushing past Luna, the boy picked up the books she had been examining and began shelving them.

Luna's shoulders sank, her brief moment of hope crushed as soon as it had been ignited. She watched Gill as he found the original locations of the books with ease. If anyone, Gill would know if this library held the book she needed. The girl gazed down at the notebook she had brought with her to take notes. Could she chance getting stuff thrown at her again or the word of a ghost spreading through town? Then again, the always serious Gill didn't come across as the type to throw things or start babbling about supernatural occurrences. With a little more confidence, Luna decided to give it a try.

Keeping the message brief, Luna wrote in big, bold letters: "It's Luna. I need help!" There was no missing it. Luna held up the piece of paper at the front of the aisle, waiting for Gill to finish with his task and look up. The blond didn't even look startled as he brushed past Luna and her message.

"It's a randomly floating piece of paper, Gill!" Luna cried in exasperation, waving the item in her hand. "You just don't walk past it like it's nothing!"

She trailed after the boy as he unpacked his bag, pulling out a notebook and a pencil case. Frowning, Luna looked down at the piece of paper in her hands. Now that she thought about it, no one commented about her out of place belongings either. Were the things she owned invisible to the eye? That was easily fixed though. Taking a pencil from Gill's pencil case, Luna began writing on the adjacent page of his notebook. The blond remained blissfully unaware of the floating pencil and scribbles on his page.

"Gah, what is this?" Luna muttered, pacing by the table. She gazed up at the ceiling as if the answer she sought were written on the building. "What did I do last time?"

It was more of a rhetorical question since she remembered clearly what had happened last time. Slowing to a stop, Luna studied the boy. So she had to do something he couldn't ignore. Hesitantly walking up to the table, she took in a deep breath, yanked his notebook from underneath his hands and tossed it across the room.

A strangled sound escaped Gill's lips. Standing onto his feet, the blond stared at the book, mouth agape. Having caught his attention, Luna walked over to the notebook, found the page she had written her message in and shoved the book in his face.

Her classmate didn't respond at first, merely stared unsurely at the page. With knit brows, Gill gently gripped the bottom of the book. "Are you a Harvest Sprite?"

"A… what?" The term sounded familiar though she wasn't sure where she had heard it. It was a recent term she had come across too. Luna wracked her brain for the answer which slowly came to her. It was just today that she had read a snippet about tiny elf-like beings that aided the Harvest Goddess. That wouldn't have been her first conclusion when faced with mysterious moving objects but at least he wasn't running from her or throwing objects at her.

Shaking her head, Luna jabbed at the page with a finger. "No, I'm Luna."

Gill continued to look quizzically at the item before him. "I don't understand. What am I supposed to do with my notebook?"

The blond boy came across as an intelligent student so Luna didn't understand why he was having such difficulty. Perhaps she had overestimated his abilities. Tearing out the page she wanted him to look at, Luna dropped the book and held up the piece of paper for him to see.

"I still don't understand. This is just a blank piece of pap— Did you just eat a sheet of paper?!" he exclaimed, looking completely aghast.

Luna pulled the sheet back, glancing from the uneaten page with her clearly written message back to Gill. She waved the piece of paper in front of the blond again but his eyes were no longer directed at it. The paper crumpled in her hands as the discouraged girl tried to figure out what to do now.

"Are you still here?" Gill questioned, peering around the room.

"I might as well not be," Luna scowled. What was left for her to do? Perhaps there really was nothing she –or anyone— could do. Sighing deeply, Luna watched Gill as he quizzically picked up his notebook. He looked frustrated with himself and slightly disappointed with how things had turned out. Despite being disappointed herself, Luna was glad to find that she didn't need to worry about being careful around him. Snapping out of her despondent state, Luna continued to search around the library for a book that could be helpful.

She didn't notice how much time had passed until Gill started packing up his books. Peering out the window, she saw that the sun had already sunk beneath the horizon. Although it was the same each year, Luna still couldn't become accustomed to the short days during winter. She noticed that it was snowing heavily again, adding to the already thick layer of snow coating the town. If the chill that was able to reach towards her from behind the glass was any indication, it was going to be another cold night. The room became drenched in darkness when Gill turned off the lights. Hurriedly gathering her own items, Luna made her way out before the room was locked.

Stepping out into the cold, Luna readjusted her scarf, hoping it would offer her more protection in a different arrangement. If there was any difference with the ends of the scarf wrapped around her neck, the girl didn't feel it. Thankfully, her home wasn't far. Arriving back at the shop, Luna knocked on the door. When no one came to open the door for her, she tried again, knocking harder. Another long moment passed and the door remained closed. "Please don't tell me people can't hear me knocking as well now."

At last her grandmother emerged from the kitchen. Luna smiled in relief; she had, for a moment, feared that she had lost one of the few remaining things that demonstrated her existence. Stopping by the window, the woman peered out. Looking down both sides of the street but finding no one, the seamstress returned to what she was doing before.

Now pounding on the door, Luna called, "Wait! Come back! Candace! Grandma! Open the door!"

Her demand was ignored, the older woman seemingly brushing off the noise as the work of the wind. It was only logical after all. Even so, Luna couldn't help but be upset. Fist limply hitting the door, the girl murmured, "It's your granddaughter…"

The cold now becoming greatly uncomfortable, Luna tried to figure out another place she could stay for the night. Shaking off the snow dusted over her, Luna straightened. Most shops were closed on Sundays and considering the time, her only option was the inn. Scurrying up the steps, Luna reached for the door of Ocarina Inn but found it locked as well. Luna stepped back, looking for the inn's hours on the sign. As she remembered, the inn was only closed on holidays and after ten in the evening. However, it wasn't either at the moment. The girl tried pushing the door again but was unable to make it budge.

Frowning, she walked over to the window and peered into the inn, finding it empty. It was an eerie sight considering how busy the inn usually was in the evenings. The mess she had made a few days earlier was cleaned up but Luna couldn't help but wonder if the inn's change in hours had something to do with her previous actions.

The girl massaged her temples. Where could she go now? Lately, it felt like the entire world was against her. She would freeze to death by the time she reached any of the buildings in Flute Fields and the Garmon Mine District was equally as far. "Why me?"

Hugging herself, she moved into the alley to shield herself from the wind. As soon as she stepped in between the buildings, the chill lessened though she was still far from warm. Sitting on the ground, Luna gazed out at the gusts of snow blowing past. Would she have to live like this forever –unable to interact with others or have others interact with her? Could she live like this forever? It sounded like a miserable life but she wasn't sure if she liked the alternative either. Though she was half-expecting to disappear into nothing anytime, she was afraid of what would come after that. Perhaps it would be nothing but that in itself was frightening .

Luna bit her lip to keep her teeth from chattering. Already, a thin coat of snow covered her hair and jacket. Though not experienced with surviving in the cold, keeping herself warm by moving sounded like a necessity if she didn't want to freeze into a block of ice. Slowly standing up, Luna looked out of the alley. Venturing back out there seemed like a bad idea. She could barely make out any other buildings through the thickening snowfall. However, staying in the alley for the rest of the night didn't sound like a viable plan either.

Even though she had stopped looking for miracles long ago, preferring to rely on her own hands to reach what she sought, she wouldn't have minded if the world dropped her a miracle now. Luna shook her head in disgust a moment later. As if a miracle would drop from the sky for her. She didn't even believe that the Harvest King and Harvest Goddess existed but… Straightening, Luna stopped, eyes alighting in realization. "The church isn't far."

It would be a warm building too –far better than this alley. The storm raged angrily beyond her temporary shelter. Luna steeled herself as she stepped out. The cold briefly took her breath away. The snow flung at her face stung and Luna struggled to draw her scarf up to cover more of her face. Turning to her left, Luna started making her way to the church. Her boots sunk in the soft snow, slowing her progress. While closer than other accessible buildings, the church was by no means a short trip from her current location. Then there was the challenge of the uphill path towards her destination.

She really hates the cold, she decided. Not that she hadn't before but the thought kept her from focusing too much on the cold and how it's eating away at her. The tips of her toes were stinging despite being previously numb. Why couldn't winter be over?

The pink haired girl was caught by surprise when she collided with someone, not expecting anyone else to be out in this weather at this time of day. Rubbing her arm, Luna exclaimed, "Watch where you're going!" Of course the other doesn't answer and she realizes that complaining would be a waste of precious time.

She was about to turn and continue on her way to the church when Luna realized that she could follow this villager to their home. Most of the villagers were good natured individuals and would help those in need. Surely, he wouldn't object to aiding a helpless child if he was aware of her presence. It wasn't like he would know she was there anyway. Plus, it sounded like a better plan than dragging herself over to the church. Sticking close to the villager, Luna shadowed his footsteps, hoping that he was intending to go home. She almost collided into him again when he stopped.

A click of a lock opening sounded and warmth brushed her cheeks as a door is opened. Luna quickly slipped inside the building, relief flooding into her along with the warmth provided by the building. How she had taken this feeling for granted. Sinking to her knees, she leaned against the wall. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders and now that it was gone, she found herself exhausted and sleepy.

"What… are you doing?"

The floor was uncomfortable but, surprisingly, she found that she didn't care too much. Perhaps she could relocate to that couch over there but her limbs suddenly felt very heavy. Closing her eyes, Luna allowed sleep to claim her.

Her head ached when consciousness came to her. Despite having fallen asleep on the floor, Luna found that she didn't want to move from her less than cozy spot. After a moment though, she noticed that her head was seriously aching from resting against the wall all night. Lifting her head off the wall, Luna opened her eyes. "Huh?"

With furrowed brows, she stared down at the blue blanket draped over her. Where had that come from? She briefly surveyed her surroundings. An above average amount of bookcases lined the walls of the building and the walls that weren't covered by bookcases were decorated with intricate ornaments.

"You're awake."

Luna turned to the source of the voice and found herself looking at a villager she was sure she had never encountered before. The young man's attire was difficult to describe and she was torn between thinking it eccentric or avant-garde. Seeing his mismatched eyes focused on her, Luna nervously asked, "Can you see me?"

The man nodded his head in affirmation.

Luna wasn't quite sure how to reply. This was the answer she had been wanting to hear for the past few days –though she would have preferred for this to happen when she hadn't snuck herself in a complete stranger's house. Nonetheless, Luna couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face. "Then this nightmare is over! You can't imagine how terrible these last few days have been!" she was babbling but the girl was just too relieved to care about anything else.

The man didn't appear to know how to respond to her reaction as he stiffly remained in his chair. Before Luna ran out the door though, he said, "The spell... is still there… if that's what you're talking about."

"Spell?"

"…Yes."

"What spell?" Luna pressed when he didn't elaborate.

A long silence settled between the two as Luna waited for the other to say something. Turning around in the stool he was sitting on to completely face her, he said, "To simplify, it's a spell… that makes people… overlook your presence."

Luna looked oddly at the man. "Spells are components of fairy tales and not reality."

The man shrugged. "If that's what you want to believe."

Surely magic spells were not real. "I mean, if magic is real then the world would be…" Luna vaguely waved her hand, trying to find the right word. Those that had access to the spells would use them to their advantage and get whatever they could out of them. It was only human nature. She knew that she would. Then others would see and also want more but resources in this world were limited. With the wide range of possible moves available with magic, the competition to come out on top would lead to… "Chaos."

"There aren't many magic users," the man explained, dipping his head in acknowledgement of her concern. "We're all aware of… the chaos you believe would result without limitations… so it is in our best interests to… be careful." He grimaced as he looked over at Luna. "I apologize… I don't talk to people often so I've nearly forgotten how to speak… eloquently."

The girl arched an eyebrow, believing 'completely forgotten' would be a better description but that wasn't the biggest issue at the moment. Raising her hand, Luna massaged her head with the tips of her fingers. She wasn't sure whether to believe his word or not. However, if she didn't believe him then she would have to revert to the ghost theory which also was fairly unbelievable. She did want to get to the bottom of this though and had no other idea of what to do. Pushing her apprehension aside, she said, "So you can see me because you're magical?"

"Yes… and no…" The man traced the design of his necklace with a finger. "How to explain…? Magic users are susceptible to spells as well... but I decided to investigate when you bumped into me last night... because it was an oddity. Which led to uncovering you…"

Luna took a long moment to consider his words. "So the other villagers can't see me? Or remember me? Just… agh, how does that even work?"

He looked oddly at her as he considered her question.

Irritation blossomed in her at that reaction. Alright, perhaps the answers to her questions were obvious but she didn't really expect him to provide answers. "Yes, yes, I know, magic, right?"

"Yes… and the human mind is a flawed thing… easy to manipulate. There is so much to absorb every day, every moment, that the mind ignores many things… even if it's right in front of you. The spell takes advantage of that."

The pink haired girl stared incredulously at the man. "Yeah, but I'm an entire person! How do you miss that?" She gestured at herself to emphasize her point. Yes, she was small but she was a solid and immaculately dressed person.

"You'd be surprised at how much people miss."

Luna sighed. So she was still stuck in this nightmare and the only one who could see her sounded more interested in admiring the enchantment than worrying about her.

"Wait…" Pushing her hair back, Luna asked, "Can you break the spell?" Though his sentences were filled with pauses, overall, what he said fit together. Slowly, she grew to accept his assertion. "A spell… So it's a spell then. How did this spell end up on me in the first place?"

Her mind was a blur, working to process everything she had learned. A spell had been cast on her, to make everyone fail to see her presence and forget about her existent. Getting up, Luna paced angrily back and forth to work off her pent up frustration. To think that this entire nightmare was caused by a spell –by someone else. Eyes blazing with rage, she asked, "You weren't the one who did this to me, were you?"

"I should be able to break the spell… once I find the required spell… and the ingredients for it…" he said calmly, answering her first question. His eyes were pensive as he examined her. "This spell is unwanted then?"

"Obviously," Luna snapped. Hadn't he noticed how upset she was during the past few minutes? "Who would want to live like this?"

A hint of amusement flickered across his expression but disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "I didn't cast the spell on you… though I have a guess as to who did…"

Luna's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

The man tilted his head to the side. "Does it matter? Even without your clashing personalities… confronting her… would only bring more trouble."

"But I just can't let her get away with it!" Luna argued hotly. To think that someone could go around causing harm without consequence didn't sit well with her. "Didn't you say that there was a balance? Isn't she breaking some sort of rule?"

"Consequences… are inevitable," he answered, his voice growing distant. "She already lives in isolation… deep in Fugue Forest as a result of… past actions."

Luna wasn't sure what he meant when he said consequences were inevitable but it sounded like he was just offering her empty words to appease her. However, she didn't know what else she could do against a magical being that had harmed her. It seemed that she had no choice but to let it go for now. That didn't mean she was happy with it though. "I suppose I'll come back later to see if you've found the spell."

"Yes but finding the ingredients might take some time… depending on what they are."

Luna nodded, slowly letting the anger and tension leave her body. She had at least found a solution, even if the reason for everything that had occurred wasn't as pleasant as she liked. Letting out a sigh, the girl picked up the blanket that had fallen to the floor. She should be happy. She was happy. This will soon be all over. Folding the blanket, Luna placed it on a nearby table. "Thank you. For your help." Awkwardly tugging at the hem of her jacket sleeves, she added, "I'm Luna."

"Wizard… though most people call me the Fortune Teller."


	3. Chapter 3

Luna trailed after her sister as she ran errands once school was finished for the day. After yesterday's incident, Luna thought that it would be best to keep close to her sister in fear that she would be locked out again. At the moment, she found herself at Horn Ranch after Candace picked up some crops at Marimba Farm.

"Thank you," Candace said softly as she paid and picked up the paper bag from the counter.

"You're welcome. How has your day been?" Renee asked, smiling kindly at the girl.

The blue haired girl fumbled, almost dropping her purchase. "G-good, thank you." She paused awkwardly before continuing, "I have to get back home so… I'll see you later."

Luna sighed as she followed her sister, who had briskly exited the building. Renee was obviously attempting to get to know Candace better but her sister had fled the scene as if the other girl had grown another head. "What am I'm going to do with you?"

After catching up with her sister, Luna walked quietly by the girl's side. It was a long, silent walk home with neither saying anything. The lack of conversation unsettled Luna, making her feel as if something was missing so the girl filled the silence with commentary about the scenery and recent happenings.

Once they arrived at the shop, Candace headed into the kitchen to put the groceries in the fridge. After a moment of deliberation, the younger sister followed. It wasn't something Luna did often. She had always strived to be independent but the distance between them lately clawed at her. It made her wonder if she really was as self-reliant as she believed herself to be. As Candace pulled out various food items, Luna took a seat in a chair, propping her head in her hands. She understood errands needed to get done but this task was rather boring.

"Strawberry milk? … Why is this in here?"

Luna perked up when she heard the mention of her favorite beverage. "You got me strawberry milk? Thank you, Candace! I wonder what the special occasion is…" Neither Candace nor her grandmother were partial to the beverage so it could only have been for her. It was likely that Candace had requested the items before the spell had been cast.

Candace stared at the bottle in her hands for a long moment then put it in the fridge along with the other groceries. When she was done storing the purchases, the girl gave one last confused look at the expensive item before closing the fridge door.

After she had disappeared from the kitchen, Luna giddily opened the fridge door to retrieve the bottle of milk. It wasn't often that they were able to indulge themselves but if they could, she believed that she would never tire of strawberry milk. After pouring herself a glass, Luna retreated to her room to study. She wasn't sure if Candace would see a floating glass of milk or just ignore it but Luna decided to err on the side of caution. Furthermore, knowing that Wizard was looking into breaking the spell on her, she would have to keep up with school so that she wouldn't be behind once she had to attend classes again. Things were still far from perfect but it seemed that her most pressing problems have been smoothed out.

Opening her textbook, Luna flipped to the correct chapter and smoothed out the page. "So… fossil distributions across continents suggest the existence of Pangaea."

After finishing three chapters, the door clicked open. Luna smiled, glad for the company. "You've finally decided to join me?"

The bed squeaked loudly as Candace flopped down onto the mattress. Leaning back in her chair, Luna curiously looked over her sister. Between the two of them, Luna was the one who dramatically threw herself onto her bed when things weren't going well. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Luna couldn't think of anything that happened that would make Candace unhappy despite practically following her around all day. "It's not because a boy didn't ask you out to the festival tomorrow, is it? We're supposed to be going as a family."

Rolling onto her back, Candace picked up the picture frame from her bedside table and stared up at it. Luna frowned. There could be a dozen things connected to the picture of the three (two in Candace's eyes) at the Starry Night Festival that bothered Candace. Was she unhappy that she wasn't fitting in after moving to Castanet? Worried that she hadn't made any progress in the goals she had set up at the beginning of the year? Worried about her grandmother's health? Worried that she wouldn't be able to run the tailor shop in the future?

Without her saying anything, Luna couldn't begin to guess. Normally, she would be able to ask and that would be the end of it. Though many of those problems didn't just suddenly occur. Had Candace been plagued by an issue for a while and she hadn't noticed?

"This is what happens when you never complain," Luna grumbled. She understood Candace not wanting to make a fuss out of things but that seldom worked well for her. They had promised to share problems with one another. While Luna held back because she didn't want to worry her sister, it seemed that Candace had done the same. Or perhaps Candace had held back because she could sense that lately, Luna had been unhappy with her.

The younger girl frowned, feeling guilty even if there was a small possibility that it was the case. She realized that she had been acting callously. If not now, then maybe one day, her sister would feel unwelcome to talk with Luna about her troubles. Even if she didn't like the part of Candace that was unable to handle problems on her own, it didn't mean Luna wanted no part in it at all. Now that she thought about it, she was relieved that the spell had rendered Candace unable to hear the resentful words Luna had shouted at her a few days ago. The pressure had just started to consumer her. However, during these past few days, she realized that Candace carried great burdens as well. "We'll figure things out once I'm back. Promise."

* * *

"Are you alright, Candace?" Shelly asked when the blue haired girl suddenly lurched forward, almost tripping over her own feet. Stopping, the older woman held out a hand to help steady the girl.

Candace gratefully took the hand. Nervously looking behind her at the snowy path, the girl nodded. "T-thanks. I must have tripped over a rock."

Luna guiltily stood to the side, reminding herself to pay more attention. When her sister and grandmother continued on their journey to Flute Fields for the Starry Night Festival, Luna followed more distantly. She had been distracted since her conversation with Wizard when she had quickly visited him before her family left for the festival. He had found the necessary spell but didn't have all 00the ingredients required to perform it. That in itself wasn't a large problem as the ingredients were obtainable –except for one.

"_The Fugue Mushroom is… difficult to find. I only come across one once every few years."_

Luna sourly kicked a clump of snow on the path. Could she wait three or four years for a mushroom to be found? Her life would essentially be put on hold for that period of time, drastically setting her plans back. On the other hand, it might not actually take three or four years to find one. Perhaps they'll get lucky. Or perhaps they'll never find one and she'll be like this forever. Breathing in deeply, Luna reminded herself that the chance of that happening was low. Unless an asteroid suddenly decimated Fugue Forest. Or perhaps a forest fire would suddenly start?

Flute Fields was bustling with people when they arrived, with couples and families spreading blankets over the ground after choosing their spot on the hill. Though Luna didn't find anything exciting about this festival, she could hear laughter ringing as children tossed snowballs at one another.

After Candace had laid out a blue blanket, she and Shelly settled in the middle, the perfect picture of a happy and complete family. Luna took a seat on the edge, as Candace and her grandmother had not left any room for her. A lump had risen in her throat at the sight. She wanted them to be happy but it hurt to not be able to be a part of it.

"Nonsense," Luna said, trying to cheer herself up. She pressed her knuckles against her cheek, attempting knock out her illogical thoughts. Her voice rang clear to her ears in the crisp night air. "We're a family. I'm a part of it."

"Are you warm enough, grandmother?" Candace had pulled another blanket out of her bag, draping the item over their shoulders. She secured the edges so that the blanket was snug and impeded the cold from piercing through.

"Thank you, dear." The two shifted, trying to carve a comfortable spot in the hard snow. After settling down again, Shelly asked, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

The girl nodded, gazing forward at the canvas of stars before her. Though her voice was still quiet, Candace spoke without hesitation. "I like this festival. It's very peaceful."

"And yet I remember you not wanting to attend any festivals when you first arrived here."

Candace smiled softly. "Yes. But I'm glad you… insisted on me attending them."

"I don't remember being that insistent but I'm glad things turned out the way they did," Shelly chuckled. The older woman gazed up at the sky, a smile on her face. "The stars are so wonderful. I'll be sad when I won't be able to make it to the festival one day but I can still enjoy them from the shop."

Candace frowned. "You're still young, grandmother."

Meanwhile, Luna sullenly tugged at her sleeves, mumbling about the two erasing her from their memories. Perhaps she should have stayed home as this festival was turning out to be fairly pointless for her. On the other hand, it was a family event and as part of this family, she intended to attend.

Cries of glee sounded across the area as the first star streaked across the sky.

"Make a wish."

Despite not believing in miracles, Luna clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. _I want to be seen and heard again soon. Please, get rid of this spell!_

When she opened her eyes again, the meteor shower had finished, leaving only the innocently winking stars in the clear night air. Luna gazed searchingly up at the sky. Not a trace of the spectacular show that had happened mere moments before remained. Following her family home, Luna wondered if, without the aid of memory, it really was so easy for something to disappear completely.

* * *

Luna groaned when she finally regained consciousness. Why did it feel like she had been run over by a bull? Cracking an eye open, she found that Candace had already left the room. When her gaze fell on the time, Luna quickly shot out of bed. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?!"

After making a few steps away from her bed, dizziness overtook her. Sinking to her knees, the girl leaned against her bed and closed her eyes. Now that she was more aware of her surroundings, Luna noticed the abnormal amount of heat radiating from her body. She really didn't need a fever right now. Her gaze flickered to the clock once again. It was early afternoon so her grandmother should be home. "Grandma?"

A moment later, she realized that she didn't have her grandmother to care for her this time. The girl breathed in slowly, trying to ease the weight on her chest. Her head was still spinning so between venturing to the kitchen to get some food and staying, she decided to sleep off the illness. Limbs clumsy, Luna climbed back into the bed. "They probably won't even know if I died in here."

Pressing her pounding head against her pillow, the girl closed her eyes and tried to ignore the aching pain. The sheets felt refreshingly cool against her heated skin and sleep easily claimed her.

When Luna regained consciousness, she saw that the sun was already setting, casting a fiery hue over the empty bedroom. The girl moved her head up to cover her eyes. Her body still burned and her head felt groggy. She didn't want to move but the dryness of her throat made her feel like she had swallowed a handful of sand. It appeared that she had no choice but to venture out of bed. Her balance was unsteady but she managed to inch towards the kitchen.

The warm smell of freshly baked bread hung heavily in the air, serving only to intensify her hunger. Swallowing, Luna looked at the food cooking in the kitchen. Fresh bread rising in the oven and hot soup bubbling in the pot. If she didn't need to wait before the coast was clear before grabbing some food, Luna would have waited for the food to finish. Grabbing a glass and a plate, Luna quietly retrieved some water and stale bread before returning miserably to her room.

Climbing onto the bed, Luna leaned against the wall and bit into her dinner. The bread was so dry and tasteless that she had to wash it down with water. Coughing, Luna swallowed down the last of the bread. After her coughing died down, Luna shakily breathed in. She hated this. She should be eating hot soup and resting in bed but here she was, sneaking leftovers from the kitchen.

Snippets of the conversation outside drifted through the walls, her sister and grandmother sounding carefree and oblivious to all the problems she was buried under. Luna's vision blurred. Rubbing her eyes, Luna muttered, "Stupid."

Luna pressed the heel of her hand against her closed eyes but the flow of tears wouldn't stop. What was she worried about? No one would see her tears anyway. Giving in, she let go of her reservations. She wasn't that strong after all. "I hate this! I hate this! I hate this!"

The door creaked open and Luna quickly scrubbed at the tears in her eyes. Why couldn't the world just let her cry her eyes out? Hugging her legs to her chest, Luna pressed her forehead against her knees. A moment later, the door closed, leaving the pink haired girl alone with only her thoughts once again. "I hate everything about this…"

Lifting her head, Luna gazed at the closed door, wondering why Candace had opened the door and then closed it without stepping into the room. Scanning the room, Luna found a bowl of soup and a glass of strawberry milk on the floor. Her gaze flickered to the door once again, expecting her sister to come back in to retrieve the food or do something logical to the objects she had just left sitting on the floor. Seconds slowly dragged by and as Luna gazed at the food, she figured that it wouldn't hurt if she ate it instead.

Slipping off the bed, the girl picked up the bowl of soup and the beverage and quickly retreated to her side of the room. The soup burned when it touched her tongue but Luna didn't mind as she gulped the hot contents of the bowl down. The burning sensation on her tongue overpowered whatever taste the soup had but she still felt satisfied. Placing the bowl back on the floor, Luna leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She had been sleeping all day but still felt incredibly tired.

The door slowly creaked open again. Cracking an eye open, Luna watched as Candace cautiously approached and picked up the empty containers. Blue eyes scanned the room and it looked like the girl wanted to say something but in the end, she merely turned around and exited the room.

* * *

When Luna woke up, she almost stepped on the bowl of oatmeal placed on the floor beside her bed. Heart beating quickly, she knelt down and touched the now lukewarm bowl. Just what was Candace up to? No matter how she thought about it, her sister's behavior was not logical. However, she saw no reason to reject the food so crossing her legs on the floor, Luna dug into her breakfast.

When she finished, Luna brought her dishes to the sink and returned to her room to study. Her eyes skimmed over the page, barely taken a word in as her mind kept wandering to Candace. She wanted to know what was going through her sister's mind. Luna tapped her pencil against the table. At this rate, studying was a waste of time. The girl gazed over at the clock. School was just about over and Candace would be home soon. Perhaps there would be a way for her to figure out the puzzle once she was in the same room of her sister.

Minutes ticked by but the telltale sound of the bell above the front door didn't sound. Her sister had bought the groceries recently but maybe had other errands. Giving up on studying, Luna approached the shop window. The town was quiet today, with not even a breeze stirring up the snow.

"Hm… Candace should be home now."

Luna blinked, surprised to find her grandmother standing beside her. There were no errands? What was Candace doing then? Her sister wasn't one to wander about after school. Feeling uneasy, Luna grabbed her coat and briskly left the shop.

The air outside was chilly but less so than a few days prior, especially with the lack of wind. Trudging through the snow, Luna gazed around. A few villagers were out but she couldn't spot the familiar blue of her sister's hair. Walking up to the school, Luna peered inside through the dusty window but found it empty.

Where else could she be? Frowning, Luna continued walking through town. Everything seemed normal. Tapping her forehead with a finger, she considered various scenarios of what had befallen her sister. Convinced to join in on a snowball fight? Unlikely. Helping a villagers in need of assistance? Maybe. Abducted by aliens? Luna shook her head at the last thought.

Wait… was that barking she heard?

Turning her head and pinpointing the sound, Luna started heading up the slope leading to the church. Her steps quickened when the viciousness increased in the dog's barks. Something had to be happening at the church grounds. Panting, Luna forced herself to continue up the hill. Upon reaching the top, Luna found a large dog cornering her sister.

"Candace!" Panic and fear welled up in Luna. She needed to find an adult. A fearful cry from Candace froze the pink haired girl. No, she couldn't leave her sister here alone either. "Hold on!"

Frantically searching for an idea, Luna spotted a branch lying on the ground. With shaking hands, Luna picked up the object and forced herself to move forwards. She needed a plan but her mind remained blank. Yet, she couldn't afford to stand around doing nothing so she continued to inch forward.

She flinched when the dog turned and snapped its jaws at her. How unfortunate that it seemed animals were able to see her very well. While the dog was acting aggressively, it hadn't actually attacked yet and she didn't want the situation to escalate to that point. Steadying her hand, Luna tried to gather more courage. She put one foot forward at a time, keeping the branch in between herself and the dog. She remembered hearing that dogs were able to smell fear and tried to keep calm in the stressful situation.

"Don't be afraid," she muttered to herself.

Her grip tightened on the branch when loud barks erupted again. Once she was in front of her sister, she turned to the side, keeping one eye on the creature and another on Candace. They had to move. Luna reached forward with her free hand but stopped herself before touching her sister. Candace had resisted the last time and had fled from her in fear. If that were to happen this time, it may put her sister in danger.

"I-it's you again…"

Luna's eyes widened as Candace looked towards her… or towards the branch. Closing her hand around Candace's wrist, Luna slowly pulled forward. The blue haired girl followed her, albeit shakily. Slowly, the two managed to slip unscathed past the dog. Though the creature's focus never strayed, it didn't follow as the two left.

Stopping at the edge of the church ground, Luna breathed out a sigh of relief. The branch fell to the ground, landing softly in the snow. She let go of her sister's wrist but was surprised when a hand grabbed onto her sleeve.

"W-wait…" The older girl gazed down at her hand as if suddenly questioning what she was doing. Tightening her grip on the fabric, she quietly asked, "Do I… know you?"

Here was the chance she had been waiting for! If only she could speak, Luna thought in frustration. There was more than one way to communicate though. Luna gazed down at the hand gripping her sleeve. Given that this has been the only successful form of contact thus far, she'll have to use that. Reaching forward, she placed her hand over Candace's and moved her arm up and down to affirm that they did know each other.

Candace flinched at the unexpected contact, almost pulling her hand back. She swallowed, gazing up from her hand. Searching for the invisible being before her, she revealed, "I-I heard you c-crying the other day…"

Luna was taken aback by the statement. Was her sister able to hear her as well? No, she was quite sure that Candace hadn't heard any of the words she had spoken since the spell had been cast on her based on how her sister had been acting. But she could hear her crying?

Candace's free hand reached up to grip her chest, her hand tightly clenching the fabric of her coat. "I don't know why b-but my heart hurt terribly then… I was a-afraid but couldn't ignore it." Breathing in deeply, the girl continued. "The strawberry milk… n-neither grandmother nor I had any but the amount in the container had been decreasing. I apparently had requested it but don't remember why." Her blue eyes became questioning and unsure as she gazed at Luna, grasping desperately at invisible puzzle pieces.

"Lately, it feels like I'm missing an important piece of myself even though I don't remember anything changing. But then… I feel glimpses of what's missing sometimes… when I suspect you're near. Who are you? What do you mean to me?"

The pink haired girl bit her lip, unsure of whether she wanted to cry of laugh. Smiling as her eyes began to water, Luna said, "You haven't forgotten me completely, right?" The thought made her heart burst with emotion. Candace was her only sister, the closest to her, the one who had been through the best and worst of times by her side –there was no way her sister could forget about her that easily!

Candace's gentle hands rested on Luna's head. Pressed against Candace, Luna felt her chest rumble as she spoke. "Y-you're crying again… Why?"

Just four words. It was all she needed. If only Candace could hear four simple words. The girl sank to her knees, sobs escaping her lips.

Kneeling on the ground, Candace murmured, "D-don't cry… I'll help. Please…"

And that was the problem. She desperately needed help but had no way of asking for it. It was no use. Everything was hopeless. The pink haired girl looked up when she felt something warm on the back of her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw the tears that trickled down her sister's face, her expression pained. "Candace?"

Hands moved to rest against the back of Luna's head. "Don't cry…" Despite her words, Luna could feel Candace shaking as she wept. "I-I promised mom and dad to look after you. I promised to never give you reason to cry… Luna."

The puzzle pieces had finally fallen into place and the foggy veil began to disintegrate.


End file.
